Tag: pregnant

What Are Some of the Reasons the Doctor Would Take You Off of Work Due to Pregnancy?

Getting pregnant while on active duty in the U.S. Army does not mean that you must give up your military career. The army makes modifications to pregnant soldiers duties, schedules and physical-fitness requirements. AR 40-501, the army pregnancy regulation, lets you continue your service during and after your pregnancy. This regulation also has duty limitations that ensure your health and safety along with the health of your unborn baby.

You must see a doctor to confirm your pregnancy. She sends the confirmation to your unit commander and issues a notice of change for your physical profile. The profile also includes your due date and sets your physical profile to T-3. This profile exempts you from normal physical training during your pregnancy, but not all exercise. It also limits your assigned duties. It exempts you from wearing weighted equipment, most immunizations and any duties that expose you to hazardous chemicals and automobile fuel. Your assigned duties cannot require you to climb ladders or use scaffolding. A pregnancy profile also makes you ineligible to serve at overseas locations, except in special circumstances.

The army requires that pregnant soldiers have routine prenatal care. You can choose care from a nurse midwife or physician. She will monitor the progress of your pregnancy and implement additional restrictions during your pregnancy. At 20 weeks, the prenatal care provider will update your pregnancy profile and restrict you from standing for parade longer than five minutes. She will also add exemptions from swimming tests, field duty and weapons training. At this phase of your pregnancy, the unit commander eliminates duty assignments that could cause extreme fatigue and lightheadedness. This includes flight duties unless you submit a request to continue. At 28 weeks, you cannot work more than 40-hours-per-week and must have three-15-minute breaks during an eight-hour shift. Your physician can recommend additional restrictions, as needed, for the duration of your pregnancy. If you experience complications related to your pregnancy, your unit commander and medical provider will decide whether to put you on sick leave.

After your delivery, your physician changes your pregnancy profile to a convalescent profile. The standard length for this profile is 45 days for a pregnancy and delivery with no complications. During this period, you can resume some physical-fitness training, but the army exempts you from normal physical-fitness training and testing for 180 days. You need clearance from your physician to resume the full physical-fitness program in less than 180 days. For the first four months after your delivery, your unit commander cannot assign you to an overseas-duty post that does not allow dependents to accompany the soldier. Assignments to temporary-duty stations are also restricted in the first four months.

Carol Luther has more than 25 years of business, technology, and freelance writing experience. She has held leadership roles in higher education management, international development, adult education, vocational education, and small business support programs

Luther, Carol. Army Regulations for Pregnant Soldiers.

Luther, Carol. (2018, June 29). Army Regulations for Pregnant Soldiers.

Luther, Carol. Army Regulations for Pregnant Soldiers last modified June 29, 2018.

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